PepsiCo UK is investing in tools and techniques to cut the water use and carbon emissions involved in farming potatoes, oats and apples for its products by 50% in five years.

The company's crops include 370,000 tonnes of potatoes for Walkers Crisps each year and growing them accounts for about a third of total business carbon emissions.

PepsiCo's "50 in 5" targets will, by 2015, replace 75% of crops with higher-yield varieties that are more disease-resistant and less dependent on water and fertiliser. The company is investing in drip irrigation and working with suppliers to champion low-carbon alternative fertilisers.

In 2011, 70 of PepsiCo's British farm suppliers had adopted "i-crop" and "cool farm" technologies, developed by the food and drinks manufacturer with leading universities and commercial partners to help fight climate change.

The tools accurately calculate soil moisture and carbon emissions to give farmers a better understanding of how and when to fertilise and irrigate efficiently.

Growers achieved a 7% reduction in carbon output and a 10% drop in water use in the project's first year. Crops required 18% less fertiliser and the company started to roll out a new potato variety, promising 17% more yield with 33% less water.

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